Tie for newspapers and the like



April 1943- w. ZIMMERMANN ,507

TIE FOR NEWSPAPERS AND THE LIKE Filed Aug. 51, 1942 Patented Apr. 27,1943 UNiTED STATES FATE-INT OFFl-CE' TIE FOB. NEWSPAPERS AND THE LIKEWilmer Zimmermann, St. Louis, Mo.

Application August 31, 1942, Serial No. 456,747

2 Claims.

This invention relates to ties for newspapers and the like; and hasspecial reference to a tie comprising a strip made of a plasticsubstance or other pliable material having interengaging devices nearits ends whereby the tie may be secured around a roll of one or morenewspapers or other articles.

Under existing conditions and regulations, restrictions have beenimposed preventing the use of wire or metallic strips for variouspurposes. Newspapers and the like are, in many instances and localities,delivered to customers and subscribers rolled, and bound into rolls bysections of Wire. It is substantially necessary to secure the newspapersin rolled form in order that the newspapers may be thrown by thecarriers or distributors, and also in order to prevent the newspapersfrom being blown apart and becoming separated during or after delivery.The wires heretofore used are substantially circular in cross-sectionand are so very bendable or flexible that they do not tear or otherwiseseriously deface or damage the sheets of the newspaper with which theyare contact. Due to the restrictions making such wires unavailable, andthe continuing necessity for delivery of newspapers to customers andsubscribers, the serious problem has arisen of providing a satisfactorysubstitute for the wires. This serious problem has resulted inconsiderable difficulty, and is solved by the present invention.

Objects of the present invention are to provide a tie for use insecuring newspapers and the like in rolled or in packaged form andprovided with novel structural elements and formations whereby the endportions of the tie may be interengaged to hold the tie about and aroundthe rolled newspaper or other article; to provide a tie in the form ofan inelastic strip or band and composed essentially of non-metallicmaterial or substance which is not flimsy, and yet is substan tiallypliable and bendable along its edges so that it will not cut or tear orotherwise deface or damage the sheets of newspaper or other paper or likmaterials against which the edges and corners of the strip or bandengage and press; to provide a tie composed of a non-metallic lasticsubstance having along one end margin thereof a series of notches ofnovel formation having enlargements at their inner portionsapproximately midway between the side edges of the strip and providinghooks adapted to interengage with a notch and hook device near theopposite end margi-n in a manner to hold the tie about and around arolled newspaper or other article and to prevent lateral movement of theoverlapping end portions and consequent disengagement of said portions;and to provide a tie composed of a strip of non-metallic plasticmaterial having a hook device adjacent to one end and a series ofshoulders extending longitudinally from the opposite end adapted to beengaged by said hook and thereby hold the band secured closely around arolled newspaper or similar article, leaving the side edges of the bandbendable and yielding so as not to tear or damage the sheet of newspaperor other paper engaged thereby.

Other objects will be apparent from the following description, referencebeing made to the annexed drawing, in which Fig. 1 is an extended planview showing one form of my improved tie for newspapers and the like.

Fig. 2 is a side elevation thereof showing the thinness of the band incomparison with its width as shown in Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary view showing the interengaged end portions ofthe tie.

Fig. 4 is a view showing the tie secured about and around a newspaper inrolled form.

Fig. 5 is an extended plan view showing a modification of the invention.

Fig. 6 is a fragmentary view showing the interengaged end portions ofthe tie shown in Fig. 5.

The specific form of the tie for newspapers and the like which is shownextended in Fig. 1 comprises an elongated inelastic strip or bandcomposed essentially of non-metallic material or substance such ascardboard or som available plastic. The strip must not be flimsy; and itmust be suificiently pliable and bendable along its edges so that itwill not cut or tear, or in any way seriously deface and damage therolled newspaper or other material against which the corners of thestrip engage. The longitudinal corners of the pliable and bendable stripare formed so that they do not cut into the rolled newspaper or otherarticle, as a metal strip would out unless provided with roundedcorners.

As shown, the inelastic strip is elongated and relatively wide and thin.The strips may be cut from suitable cardboard or sheets formed ofplastic material. Along one end margin of the strip a longitudinalseries of notches i are formed. These notches are spaced apartlongitudinally of the strip so that they do not open into or communicatewith each other. Each notch is formed by cutting out a portion of thestrip to provide a wall 2 extending transversely from one side edgetoward the opposite side edge of the strip; and

to provide a wall 3 inclining from the same side edge of the striptoward intersection with the wall 2. Each notch l opens into a circularhole 4 through a relatively narrow mouth or opening 5. The relativelynarrow mouth or opening 5 is formed by intersection of the walls 2 and 3with the wall of the hole 4.

The wall 2 of each notch l constitutes substantially a continuation of aradius of the hole 4, so that approximately one-half of the opening 4 isbetween the plane of the wall 2 and the end 6 of the strip from whichthe series of notches I extend. Thus, the openings into the notches l atthe side edge of the strip are very substantially wider than the mouthsor openings 5 of said notches into the holes 4; and the holes 4 are ofless diameter than the width of the outer portions of the notches l inorder to provide suflicient strength for the several tongues 1 formedbetween the several holes 4 and the side edge of the strip. All of thenotches i are formed along the same side edge of the elongated strip.

An interengaging device is formed near the opposite end of the strip andis adapted to cooperate with the tongues l and notches I4 in order tosecure and hold the tie around a rolled newspaper or other article. Saidinterengaging device comprises a notch 8 formed by cutting or removing aportion of the opposite margin of the strip to provide a wall 9 and awall 10 inclining substantially from the side edge of the strip towardintersection with the wall 9. The notch 8 has a relatively narrow mouthor communication I I into a round hole I2 similar to the round holes 4.The wall 9 which extends almost transversely of the strip is anapproximate extension of the radius or diameter of the hole l2, thusproviding a tongue l3 adapted to cooperate with any one of the tongues 1along the opposite end margin of the strip to hold the end portion ofthe strip interengaged or tied around a rolled newspaper or otherarticle, as shown in Figs. 3 and 4. The tongues I and I3 are pliable andbendable and are easily interengaged to secure and tie the device arounda roll of newspapers or other articles, and yet are not objectionablyflimsy.

When the device is made of cardboard or plastic sheet material havingthe characteristics of cardboard, it may be easily torn or brokenmanually and detached without cutting or otherwise injuring the hand ofthe person tearing or breaking and detaching the tie and withoutcutting, tearing or otherwise damaging the newspaper. In theseparticulars, the device meets an existing need and requirement, and alsodiffers in essential characteristics and functions from metal strips orbands which could not be used in this manner.

The device shown in Figs. 5 and. 6 also comprises an elongated andrelatively wide and thin inelastic strip which may be cut from suitablecardboard or a sheet formed of plastic material. The series of notchesl4 formed along one end margin of the strip are spaced apartlongitudinally so that they do not open into or communicate with eachother. Each notch is formed by cutting out a portion of the strip toprovide a wall I5 extending transversely toward the opposite side edgeof the strip; and to provide a wall [6 inclining from the side edge ofthe strip in which the notch is formed to intersection with the wall [5approximately at the longitudinal axis of the strip.

An interengaging device is formed near the opposite end of the strip andcomprises a notch I1 formed by cutting or removing a portion of themargin of the strip. The wall 18 of said notch I1 inclines toward theadjacent end I! of the strip. The wall 20 of the notch l1 inclines fromthe side edge of the strip in which the notch is formed to intersectionwith the wall 18 approximately at the longitudinal axis of the strip.The walls 18 and 20 forming the notch I! provide a hook 2| which ispliable and easily bendable. The strip is secured around a rollednewspaper, or around rolled newspapers, or other articles. in the mannershown in Fig. 6

by interengaging the notch I! with the proper one of the notches I4, thehook 2| substantially preventing lateral displacement or disengagementof the engaged portions of the tie.

Like the device previously described, this tie may be easily torn orbroken manually and detached without cutting or otherwise injuring thehand of the person tearing or breaking and detaching the tie and withoutcutting, tearing or otherwise damaging the newspaper. Possessing thesedesirable and improved features of construction, characteristics andfunctions, this device difiers essentially from the construction,characteristics and functions of metal strips or bands which could notbe used in this manner and which are now unavailable for many purposes.

From the foregoing, it should be apparent that this invention attainsall of its intended objects and purposes economically, efficiently, andsatisfactorily. In the particular that it may be easily broken manuallywithout injury to the hand or to the newspaper or other article, it iseven more satisfactory than the wire heretofore generally used for thesepurposes.

I claim:

1. A manually breakable tie for securing and holding newspapers and thelike in rolled form, comprising an inelastic strip of non-metallicmaterial having substantially pliable and bendable edges and corners toprevent injury to the person manually breaking the tie and also toprevent damage to the newspaper or other article, said strip having alongitudinal series of notches along one side edge of one end portionthereof, each notch having a transverse wall extending nearly at rightangles from said side edge and having another wall diverging from saidfirst wall to intersection with said side edge and toward the oppositeend of the strip, leaving said first wall toward the end of the stripfrom which said series of notches extend, said strip also having aseries of circular holes along the longitudinal axis thereof havingtheir peripheries that are toward the said side edge of said stripintersecting said walls of said notches respectively and formingrelatively narrow openings into said respective notches and co-operatingwith said transverse walls to form tongues extending longitudinally ofsaid strip toward said second named walls respectively, said strip alsohaving a notch in its opposite side edge adjacent to the opposite endthereof adapted to be interengaged with said first named notches andholes respectively, and a tongue at the side of said last named notchthat is toward said last named end extending longitudinally of saidstrip toward the opposite side of said last named notch, one of saidfirst named tongues and said last named tongue overlapping said strip atopposite sides of said notches and holding the end portions of ventdamage to the newspaper or other article, 10

said strip having a longitudinal series of notches along one side edgeof one end portion thereof extending approximately to the longitudinalaxis of the strip, and each of said notches including a wall extendingtransversely of the strip and 5 another wall diverging outwardlytherefrom whereby each of said notches comprises a wide outer portion atone side edge of the strip and a narrow inner portion, said strip alsohaving a notch in the opposite side and adjacent to the opposite endthereof and adapted to be interengaged with said first notchesselectively, and a tongue integral with said strip at the side of saidlast named notch that is toward said end projecting longitudinallytoward the opposite side of said notch and extending beyond the plane ofsaid transverse wall of any one of said first named notches that isinterengaged with said last named notch.

WILMER ZIMMERMANN.

